RIDE SHARING CRUSADE

May 19, 2018 at 4:30 am

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SHARES

Are you safe in your hired car? After reports of sexual assaults in Uber and Lyft cars, New York State Senator Luis Sepulveda went on a crusade to bring an end to that threat to the public and the victims due process under the law. His victory against both companies and what’s next are ahead.

>>> GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME TO
METROFOCUS I'M RAFAEL PI RAMAN.
HE BEGIN WITH BIG CHANGES HOW
RIDE SHARE COMPANIES HANDLING
CLAIMS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT AGAINST
THEM.
BOTH RECENTLY ANNOUNCED THEY
WILL NOW ALLOW VICTIMS OF SEXUAL
ASSAULT TO TAKE CASES TO COURT,
CHAENGING A PREVIOUS POLICY THAT
FORCED PASSENGERS TO PURSUE
CLAIMS THROUGH AN INTERNAL
ARBITRATION SYSTEM.
THE CHANGE IN POLICY CAME TWO
WEEKS AFTER A DAMNING CNN REPORT
THAT FOUND AT LEAST 103 DRIVERS
IN THE U.S. HAVE BEEN ACCUSED OF
SEXUALLY ASSAULTING OR ABUSING
PASSENGERS IN THE PAST FOUR
YEARS.
IN RESPONSE TO THE REPORT NEW
YORK STATE LAWMAKERS IMMEDIATELY
INTRODUCED LEGISLATION TO BAN
ALL SHARE RIDE SHARING FROM
FORCING ALLEGED VICTIMS INTO
ARBITRATION AS OPPOSED TO THE
COURTS.
THE VERY CHANGE THAT USUAL AND
LIFT NOW PUT IN PLACE.
A STATE SENATOR WHO SBRUSED THAT
LEGISLATION EARLIER THIS MONTH
SAYS THE CHANGES DON'T GO FAR
ENOUGH AND THIS IS JUST THE TIP
OF THE ICEBERG WHEN IT COMES TO
CORPORATE ACCOUNTABILITY ON THE
PART OF UBERS AND COMPANIES LIKE
IT.
THE SENATOR JOINS US NOW.
WELCOME TO THE PROGRAM ONCE
AGAIN.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME HERE.
>> SO, YOU KNOW AS I SAID IN THE
SBRUKS, THE CNN -- THE DAMNING
CNN REPORT GAVE US THE NATIONAL
FIGURES OVER THE PAST FOUR
YEARS.
DO WE KNOW HOW SERIOUS THE
PROBLEM HERE IS NEW YORK STATE
AND NEW YORK CITY?
DO WE HAVE STATISTICS ABOUT
THAT.
>> WE DON'T HAVE PRECISE
STATISTICS WITH YOU WE CAN
ASSUME BECAUSE THE CITY IS A
PLACE WHERE A LOT OF PEOPLE USE
USUAL THAT MANY OF THE REPORTED
CASES ACTUALLY HAPPEN HERE IN
THE CITY OF NEW YORK.
WE'RE PRETTY CONFIDENT THAT IT'S
A MAJOR PROBLEM HERE IN THE
CITY.
>> SO THE CHANGES THAT YOU CALL
FOR AND -- I MEAN YOU HAVE TWO
BILLS RIGHT -- THE CHANGES YOU
CALL FOR IN AT LEAST ONE OF THE
BILLS USUAL AND LIFT PUT INTO
PLACE.
BUT YOU'RE GOING THROUGH WITH
THE LEGISLATION.
>> AS A GENERAL PREMISE I'M
COMPLETELY OPPOSED TO
ARBITRATION CLAUSES.
THEY PUT THOSE CLAUSES IN TO
BENEFIT THEM.
IN A SITUATION LIKE THIS WHERE
WE PUSH LEGISLATION TO BAIER THE
CLAUSES DOESN'T MEAN THAT
TOMORROW EVEN THOUGH LIFT AND
USUAL AGREED NO LONGER WILL THE
ARBITRATION CLAUSES APPLY WHEN
THERE IS A SEXUAL ASSAULT BY ONE
OF THEIR DRIVERS.
IT DOESN'T MEAN TOMORROW THEY
CAN'T SAY WE'RE GOING TO
REINSTATE THE ARBITRATION
CLAUSE.
WE HAVE WE WANT TO MAKE SURE
THROUGH THE LEGISLATION THEY
DON'T HAVE THE OPTION.
YES WE ARE HAPPY THEY'VE TAKEN
THE STEPS.
BUT THE ARBITRATION CLAUSES CAN
STILL APPLY WITH OTHER PROBLEMS,
FOR EXAMPLE, DISCRIMINATION.
>> RIGHT.
>> ANY TYPE OF INJURY YOU MAY
HAVE IN THE VEHICLE, YOU KNOW,
SO IT'S NOT -- IT'S STILL NOT
ALL ENCOMPASSING.
>> YOUR LEGISLATION CALLS FOR AN
END TO INCLUDING THAT
ARBITRATION POLICY WITHIN ANY
AGREEMENT REGARDLESS OF THE
ISSUE.
>> NO WE STARTED FIRST WITH THE
ISSUE OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT
THAT'S MORE IMMEDIATE.
>> RIGHT.
>> THOSE HAVE SEEN THE REPORT
CAN SEE HOW DANGEROUS THAT IS.
THE LEGISLATION STARTED WITH
THAT.
BUT THE INTENT IS TO MAKE IT
MORE ENCOMPASSING.
>> I NEVER READ THE AGREEMENTS.
NOBODY DOES.
>> EVEN IF YOU READ IT YOU CAN'T
UNDERSTAND IT.
BUT I WAS SURPRISED WHEN I FOUND
OUT.
>> I HAVE TO TELL YOU THIS, THE
ONE IN USUALER 6 THOUSANDWARDS
WITHIN THOSE SIX THOUSAND WORDS
ONLY ABOUT A THOUSAND APPLY TO
THE ARBITRATION PROCESS.
I'VE WITHIN A PRACTICING
ATTORNEY FOR 27 YEARS.
I USE USUAL.
I'VE NEVER READ THE CLAUSES.
AND SO THOSE LAY PEOPLE WHO DO
NOT PRACTICE LAW OR UNDERSTAND
THE LAW IT'S MORE EGREGIOUS.
>> TELL US ABOUT THE SECOND
BILL.
>> THAT'S THE POP UP BILL.
THE INDIVIDUALS THE FIRST TIME
THEY DOWNLOAD THE APPS OR IN A
COUPLE OF TIMES THERE AFTER A
POP-UP WILL COME UP SAYING DO
YOU REALIZE THERE ARE
ARBITRATION CLAUSES THAT YOU
GIVE UP LEGAL RIGHTS AND WE WANT
THE CONSUMER TO BE AWARE OF IT
WHEN YOU USE THE APPS AND RIDE
SHARING THAT ESSENTIALLY YOU MAY
BE SUBJECTED TO A
NON-TRADITIONAL TRIBUNAL IF YOU
HAVE ANY SORT OF INJURY OR ANY
SORT OF ACTION THAT YOU WANT TO
BRING AGAINST THE RIDE SHARING
COMPANY.
>> YOU ARE ALSO CALLING FOR THE
RIDE HAILING COMPANIES TO SHARE
INFORMATION ABOUT CRIMES
COMMITTED BY DRIVERS AND
PASSENGERS.
>> CORRECT.
>> AND SHARE IT WITH POLICE.
>> THAT'S NOT HAPPENING NOW.
>> IT'S NOT HAPPENING NOW AND
IT'S A PROBLEM.
ONE OF THE BY PRODUCTS OF THE
LEGISLATION IS THAT IT WILL IT
WILL COMPEL THE COMPANIES TO BE
MORE SELECTIVE ABOUT THE DRIVERS
THEY HIRE OR CONTRACT WITH WHEN
PEOPLE ARE USING THE RIDE
SHARING.
THE COMPANIES CAN BE SORT OF
SOMEWHAT RELATIVELY INDIFFERENT
AS TO WHO THEY'RE CONTRACTING
WITH.
NOW IT'S WITH THIS WITH PEOPLE
KNOWING ALL THE INFORMATION.
-- SUNLIGHT IS THE BEST
DISINFECTANT.
WE WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW IF
DRIVERS HAVE INCIDENCE OF
VIOLENCE.
WE WANT INDIVIDUALS TO KNOW THE
COMPANY THAT YOU CONTRACT WITH
FOR RIDE SHARING HAS A PROBLEM
WITH CRIME.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO GET THE
INFORMATION OUT SFLA THIS ISSUE
AS WE MAKE CLEAR, I THINK, IS
REALLY SERIOUS AND YOUR
LEGISLATION IS VERY IMPORTANT.
BUT, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE THOSE
WHO SAY I SIDE FROM THE
PARTICULAR ISSUES THERE IS AND
MUST BY ELECTED OFFICIALS
AGAINST THE RIDE SHARING
COMPANIES BECAUSE THEY HAVE --
BECAUSE THE TAX Y INDUSTRY WHICH
SUPPORTS A LOT OF ELECTED
OFFICIALS PARTICULARLY IN NEW
YORK ARE REELING BECAUSE OF THE
COMPETITION THAT USUAL LIFT AND
COMPANIES LIKE THAT GIVE THEM
AND THAT'S WHY YOU GUYS HATE
THEM ON TOP OF EVERYTHING ELSE.
WHAT DO YOU SAY.
>> THIS LEGISLATOR NEVER
RECEIVED ANY PENNY FROM ANY TAX
Y COMPANY.
>> YOU HEARD THAT SAID.
>> YOU CAN HEAR THAT.
BUT I DON'T THINK THAT'S THE
CASE IN THIS SITUATION.
I'VE RECEIVED EMAILS AND TEXTS
ABOUT HOW I CONTINUE TO
PERPETUATE THE ENVIRONMENT.
AND ESSENTIALLY THIS IS A SAFETY
CONCERN.
AND IF YOU WANT -- IF PEOPLE
WANT TO IMPLY SOMEHOW THAT THE
TRADITIONAL TAX Y COMPANIES ARE
PUSHING THIS, I'VE HAD NOT A
SINGLE CONVERSATION WITH ANY OF
THE COMPANIES, ANY TAX Y DRIVER
THAT'S NOT PART OF THE RIDE
SHARING PROGRAM.
THIS REALLY EVOLVED AS A RESULT
OFWAY WE SAW ON CNN AND SOME OF
THE INFORMATION AND RESEARCH
WE'VE DONE.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING
US TO TALK ABOUT THIS VERY
IMPORTANT ISSUE.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.